My Lifeline
by Allycat295
Summary: "I feel as though I can never catch a break; I am slowly losing my will to keep fighting against the heaps of betrayal, starvation and abandonment that are like leeches, slowly, but painfully, sucking the life out of me" Cato, instead of training for the games, becomes a peacekeeper for District 12, which has become more strict & Katniss needs someone to keep her motivated to live.
1. Chapter 1

**I have decided to just stop sitting around and reading the same stories over and over again. Cato/Katniss stories used to be amazing, wonderful creations that I could never get bored of reading. There are still really good stories out there, but some people just steal someone else's idea. It will probably happen to me becuse this is an idea that has not been used yet, I am sure of it. I have read almost every single Cato/Katniss story there is. The only ones that I did not read were the ones that seemed weird and had immature writers. I have had this idea for a long time now and I am glad I was motivated to finally write it down. Feel free to leave praises, pleas, comments, criticism, tips, advice- anything you think that I should know before I continue with this story. This is my first fanfition and story I have EVER even bothered to write down, so please bear with me. I am a huge grammar freak, so if you notice any grammar mistakes, please let me know. I hope you enjoy!**

"_Crack_", I hear the twig snap and instantly turn to my left, arrow already notched and pulled back. You can never be too safe in the woods, especially when alone. At night, there are wild dogs and panthers that could eat someone alive, never to be found again. They would be consumed by death, turned into nothing but a soulless corpse with vacant eyes that stare off into oblivion, perhaps caught in a never ending nightmare. Well, this is what I assume happens, I have never actually witnessed a dead body, but it isn't that hard to imagine. On bad nights, I dream of my father looking like a blanched corpse, even though I never even saw him dead. On good nights, I either, A, have no dreams at all, or B, relive the happy memories with my father. Unfortunately for me, the former occurs several times a week.

I scan the area, scrutinizing every breeze and smell that I detect with my senses. After a few seconds, the hair on the back of my neck rises up, and I quickly scale a nearby tree. Peacekeepers have been taking rounds throughout the day at least five times a week because of the new head peacekeeper, whose name is unknown to the District 12 inhabitants. But, they usually don't take the trips at night, or anywhere near the area I am currently hunting. I start to think, what else could it possibly be? My curiosity is halted when I see a small glimpse of a white uniform. After a few, deadly quiet seconds, the peacekeeper returns to my view about 100 feet away from me, it is obviously a male, but there is no way to identify him, all peacekeepers look the same in their white uniforms and helmets. I wouldn't bother trying to recognize him even if there wasn't a helmet, all the new peacekeepers are like monsters, in size, attitude and strength; they are all evil. The peacekeeper is looking around, almost like he is searching for something, or someone. A small trickle of fear starts to trail up my neck, what if he was following me, and he knows that I'm out here. But, this fear goes away as fast as it came, because the peacekeeper abruptly turned around, probably going to patrol some more elsewhere. It is past sunset, but luckily a full moon. However, I have to head straight back because I _can not _get caught. I hate myself for being a coward, but I just can't risk getting caught, that means death.

As I run through the trees, dodging the light of the bright moon, I start to dread returning home. I am, once again, going back empty handed, nothing to feed myself, or my family, not to mention the scraggily cat. The look on little Prim's face will be devastating, but at least she is fed at school. Mother is out of it, and probably always will be, so she wouldn't even know the difference if she goes hungry tonight. It won't mask the pain she feels after losing father, even I know this. There is one major difference between my mother and I, I am strong, and she is weak. But, I am my mother's daughter, and I don't know how much longer I can stand to be the strong one. Prim is destined to be taken to orphanage, and I will die, literally, because she is my only will to live, the only thing keeping me alive at this point. One of her teacher's pointed out that she was scrawny, too scrawny, so the peacekeepers came to check out our living style, and confirmed our mother incapable of being a mother. They declared Prim, at the mere age of 13, to go to the orphanage. While I, at the age of _almost_ 18, am allowed to hold my own responsibilities. I can't believe this is happening to my family, but it is. We are slowly drifting apart, but now, we are separated and almost out of sight from each other, all because I couldn't keep Prim fed. It has been harder since the peacekeeper patrols; I can only go at nights and very early mornings. Now, after tonight, I don't know if there will ever be a safe time to go.

Next week, Prim leaves for good, but I have yet to break the news to her. How am I supposed to tell her that she will be going away, to a place where kids are sent that do not have parents capable of keeping them alive? I will not be the reason for the sparkle in her eye to disappear, to become vacant like the corpse in my dreams. I plan on telling her the morning she leaves, that way she won't distance herself as much from me before she leaves, even though, without a doubt, she will be angry with me. Perhaps, though, that will be easier if she is mad at me, then she won't try to stay…hopefully.

With Prim being gone, I will be proposed as a threat to myself. What if I lose the will to fight? What if I become too tired to even try to hunt, or wake up? What if mother dies and I have absolutely nothing? There are too many 'what if's, and too many worries. I am becoming my mother, and that can not- no, will not, happen to me. I refuse to give up, well, at least until I know that Prim is safe.

I realized I was dreading over the future instead of focusing on the present. I had arrived at the, very active, electric fence. I scout the area just to make sure the cost is clear, and start to climb an oak tree that is close to the fence. This tree has branches that hang over the fence and stoop low to the other side; it is the only way back and forth to the forest. That is, unless you are a peacekeeper, they are presented with cards that they swipe onto a box by a gate. The gate will open a part of the ways and close immediately after the peacekeeper is thru.

The branch that leads to the other side has vines on it, so I had carefully constructed a vine ladder, which is perfect camouflage. After crossing to the other side, I swiftly sprint home, making sure I remain in the shadows, since it is past curfew. As I run the very familiar path, I stumble across a sight I was not expecting. At my door, screaming her head off, staring into oblivion is my mother, showing that she has truly become crazed. Before I can make it to her, the peacekeepers have already cuffed her and have started dragging her away. Maybe, if she would have been a good mother, and fed me, I would run after her. Maybe, if she wouldn't have zoned out on me, I would run after her. Maybe, if I knew she loved me, I would run after her. But, these are all the reasons I remain in the shadows, watching the peacekeepers drag my mother away, still screaming her head off. As soon as they are out of sight, I run into my house, searching every corner and under every blanket to find Prim. But I knew as soon as I entered the door, I knew it was a lost cause, they took Prim away too. She's gone, and I didn't get to say goodbye, or "I love you". After much thought, I realized that my mother had probably snapped because they took Prim away. Prim was the lifeline for me, but it took me awhile to realize she was the lifeline for my mother too. Now, I don't know what to do. I am officially alone, scared, and haunted by the future. I don't regret letting the peacekeepers take my mother away, but I know Prim would be disappointed in me. Prim would have ran to her and tried to calm her, but I stood by and watched my own mother go crazy. But, there is a difference between Prim and I, Prim is loved by my mother and can see the light in everything, whereas I was abandoned by the same mother, and I always see the dark, even in the brightest light.

I feel as though I can never catch a break; I am slowly losing my will to keep on fighting against the heaps of betrayal, starvation and abandonment that are like leeches, slowly, but painfully, sucking the life out of me. There are some nights I go to bed, wishing I will not wake up in the morning. I am barely hanging on by my fingertips, and I need a lifeline that can pull me back over the edge of the canyon that is filled with despair. But, there is one thing I keep forgetting; I am Katniss Everdeen, and not even the weight of the whole World will make me let go.

**So, what do you think? Should I even bother to continue? yay or nay?**

**-Allycat**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, thanks to my lovely reviewers, I decided to update another chapter. I realized that Katniss did seem a little too dark, but I will fix that once she has someone to open up to. I do not know if Gale will be in this story, I love Gale, but I don't seem him as someone that Katniss could get comfort from. I hope you enjoy this story, and if you don't, please let me know! Also, please, please, please point out any grammar problems! I cannot stand to read story with multiple grammar mistakes, so I don't want to be a hypocrite and have them in my story. Thank you! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games, or it's characters.**

**^^^^^Please Read, it might answer some of your questions^^^^^**

After much thought, I decide that Prim will need someone once she turns eighteen and is released from the orphanage. If I just gave up, she would have no one left for her. I cannot let that happen, she is just too precious and innocent to have to face this sea of war by herself. I will be beside her, holding her hand, so we can face it together, never letting go of each other.

The night they took the only people I had left to care for away from me, I decided that I will try my hardest to keep myself alive. So, I returned back to the woods, taking extra precautions, since I have vowed myself to not give up.

I prowl my way through the trees and thorny bushes, not caring that they are poking my flesh through the thin layer of protection I have covering my body. I go back to where I had been a few hours earlier, also where I spotted the peacekeeper, but surely he would have moved on. I see the tracks of the deer I had been trying to follow, and once again, I start scouting my way through the lovely underbrush, looking for the deer. I have been spotting deer tracks for the past few days in this same area, so hopefully this has not become a peacekeeper's route. If it has, I will have to find another hunting place and forget about the deer. But, this is the first deer I have seen this year, and if I plan to get back on track, I _need _this deer. One deer can sell for a ton at the Hob, especially if it is the first one this year.

The Hob has been moved to a basement of a house. With all the new peacekeeper's rules and restrictions, they had to move it to a more private space, since it is, technically, illegal and anyone associated with it can be punished. But, these are the risks I am willing to take in order to survive.

Suddenly, I hear a twig snap and I come back to reality after being lost in thought. The wind has picked up a bit, which is expected, since it is late November. The cool breeze brushes against my face, turning it pink and raising chill bumps on my neck. Something feels off, almost as if I am being watched. I stay as still as possible, barely breathing, listening for signs of a spy. I rotate in a full circle, watching and listening as if I were a hawk searching for prey. As I am turning, I notice that the birds are flying away from a particular section of the woods nearby. Someone is out here, but I need to find this deer, it is crucial to my survival. So, I start to travel in the opposite direction of the mystery person, hoping I will not run into them. I am passing through a creek when I notice fresh deer tracks; I knew the deer would be around here somewhere. I prepare an arrow, ready to strike at any given moment. I creep along, not making a sound, because this is now or never, since the deer keeps getting farther and farther away from the district boundaries. As I pass trees, I notice the bark rubbed off in a few places, I am hot on this unlucky deer's path.

After no more than five minutes, I see the long-awaited deer grazing in an open meadow; this is a perfect shot. I pull back the arrow, aim, and fire. As soon as I release the arrow, I hear a gunshot, and it is close. I quickly scale the nearest tree, having to forget about the dead deer, because there is no way I can drag a deer up into a tree. As I become higher and higher into the canopy and safe covering of the tree, I scout the area, looking for the intruder. I don't see anything, so I look at my kill. At first, I grin, because I see my arrow sticking out of the deer's eye, but then I notice the blood that is creeping down its neck. That blood is _not _from my arrow, so this can only mean one thing. That gunshot was for the deer, and the hunter is close, really close. As I ponder my thoughts, I realize that the only people that have access to guns are peacekeepers, so this means that a peacekeeper just broke the law. Whoever it is, they are probably hiding too, since they can be killed for hunting because they are of higher status and are supposed to make the rules, not break them.

I try to look for the peacekeeper, but there is no sign of them. I wonder, if I were to go get the deer, would they come out? Probably not because they just committed the same crime I did, but it is worse for their case. I weigh the pros and cons, and the former wins- I'm going to get the deer.

I jump out of the tree once I am about fifteen feet above the ground, and land with a soft thud. Just to be safe, I quickly scan the area for about the fifth time, but find no signs of another person; except, of course, for the two injuries on the deer. I crawl towards the deer, carefully keeping an eye out for a white uniform. The grass in the meadow is really tall, about three feet, and since I am on my knees, a passerby probably wouldn't notice me. As I reach out towards the deer, still on my knees and hardly seeing two feet out in front of me, I hear the wind pick up even more. Well, I guess it is the wind, since the grass is swaying in front of me. My hand touches the deer, right where the gunshot wound is, I try not to wince, but there is a bunch of blood. I slightly gasp because I was not expecting so much blood; it must have been a really powerful gun, probably made for killing people.

I knew it was a bad idea to come get the deer, especially when I notice my hand isn't the only one touching the deer's neck wound.

I slowly lift my gaze to the owner of the hand's eyes, but am blocked by a tinted helmet. Well, this is just great; I have just doomed myself to at least twenty lashes, possibly more. There is about three seconds where all we do is stare at each other, my mouth agape, and the peacekeeper frozen in shock. I guess this would be the perfect time to run, but my brain just won't work properly. I pull my hand back, and shakily stand to my feet, not knowing what to do. The peacekeeper is still on the ground, so I inspect them for a brief second before dashing back into the safe covering of the trees.

**Let me know what you think!**


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